Compartment freight car



Aprl 30, 1929. w. F. KIESEL, JR ?,710,737

COMPARTMENT FREIGHT CAR Filed April l2, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented A'pr. 30, 1929.

UNITED STA-TES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR., 0F ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMPARTE/[ENT FREIGHT CAR.

Application filed April 12, 1928. Serial No.` 269,537.

This invention relates to freight cars and `more particularly to 'that type of freight cially directed to means for retaining such compartments in position onilat cars in such a manner that the doors to the compartments may be opened without removing them from the car.

It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved freight car.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide corner stops for freight car compartments, that cooperate with the compartments yin such a manner as to allow their doors to be opened without removing the compartments from the car.`

One of the features of the invention consists in forming a compartment stop in such a manner as to provide two pockets for the corners of adjacent compartments and to form integral with the stop fitting a collar-like portion providing a stake pocket.

Another feature of the invention comprises the arrangement-of a freight'car o'f the flat type, adapted to carry freight coinpartments, with a plurality of stake pocket fittings secured to each side sill, those ttings arranged between the ends of inde endently removable freight compartments being below the floor of the car, while those in line with' the ends of adjacent compartments project above the floor of the-car and are provided with pockets 'to engage with thecorners of the two adjacent compartments.

Other and further features and objects of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the art upon a considera.- tion of the accompanying drawings and following speciiication wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that various changes may be made therein such as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing ,from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a freight car constructed according to the present invention' and equipped with removable freight compartments;

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the car and a compartment thereon;

Figure 3 is a partial horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l and looking downward Figure 4f is an elevation, on a larger scale, of the combined compartment stop and stake pocket fitting;

Figure 5 is' a vertical section on anen larged sca-le taken oni line* 5-5 of Fig. 1 and showing the stake pocket and` stop fitting in elevation; and

Figure 6 is a vertical section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

It is well-known in the art to provide a plurality of freight compartments, a number of which may be mounted on or carried by a suitable freight car, so that partial car shipments may be facilitated. Heretofore elaborate nieanshavebeen provided for retaining the compartments in position, often combining locking or hooking means, all

of which add to the complication of the construction and offer difficulties in the yapplication of the system. The present in,- vention comprises an extremely simple method of attaching the compartments and at the same time allows the use of the car for its ordinary purpose without any change.V

eferring to the drawings, there is disclosed at C a'flat car which may be of conventional type and provided with the side sills 10 formed as shown substantially as a beam of constant strength, although obviously any type of side sill may be used.

The car is adapted to carry a. plurality (here shown as five) of compartments 11 which may be of conventional form. A's shown, they are substantially of rectangular configuration in both plan and elevation, having, however, the slightly rounded roof parts 12. As shown, the ends of these oompartinents which face each other when the compartments are in position on the car as shown, are of corrugated metal 13 for added strength. The compartments may be provided with suitable rings 14 for the attachment of lifting slings. Each compartment as shown, is of substantially the same width as the floor 15 of the'car and the car is of such length as to just accommodate the de# `-cured' to the vertical face of the side sill.

These fittings are conveniently spaced from two and one-half to four and one-half feet apart on the standard freight cars and are each provided with a vertical sleeve or collar adapted to receive the end of the stake which may be driven therein to retain certain types of loads, i. e., lumber, iron bars and the like, in position on the car. In order to adapt such a flat car for carrying freight compartments, some of the usual stake pockets may conveniently be retained and moved if required to be positioned say midway of the length of each compartment, as shown in Fig. 1. These stake pocket'ittings do not project above the floor of the ear and therefore do not interfere with opening the compartment doors. It will often be found convenient to open these doors for loading or unloading the compartments without removing them from the car.

The compartments are normally spaced apart a slight distance from each other as shown at 19. They are held in this posi` tion and also from movement laterally or longitudinally of the car by the combined compartment stop and stake pocket fitting generally indicated at 20, there being one of these arranged at the outer end of each end compartment and one between each two compartments on each side sill as shown. Figs. 3 to 6' show in detail the construction of this combined stop and stake pocket fitting. --It is preferably a casting of malleable iron. It comprises essentially a plate 2l adapted to lit against and be riveted or otherwise secured to the vertical web 22 of the side sill as shown in Fig. 5. For the sake of rigidity, the portions 23 of this .f plate are formed as slightly elevated ribs and only the portions 24 fit against the sill web. These portions 24 are drilled as shown to receive suitable fastening means. Extending laterally from the upper edge of this plate 21 is the plate 25 adapted to rest on top of the flange 2G of the side sill when the fitting is in position as shown in Fig. 5.

Formed integral with the plate 25 and extending upwardlytherefrom is the spacer block 27 substantially rectangular in horizontal section and preferably hollow as shown in Fig. 6 for the sake of lightness. The top of this block is chamfered in four directions as best shown in Fig. 3, wherein the sloping faces 28 and 28 are the larger and face toward the front and rear of the Icar respectively, and the smaller faces 29 30 of this block is a substantial continuation of the plate 2l. Extending from this wall 30 and upwardly from the plate 21 are the wings 31. They extend to the full width of the plate 21 and at least to the full height of the spacer block as shown in Fig. 4.. The upper edges of these wings are turned outwardly as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6 at 32.

The block is braced from the plate 21 by means of the integral webs 33 substantially vertical` and extending at right angles to the plate 21, they being really extensions of the side walls 34 of the block at the unctions of the wings therewith. These webs 33 are widest at the top and taper down until they almost merge into the plate 21 at the bottom. The wide portions 35 of these webs are con nected together at their outer edges by means of the plate 36 to thus form a collar or ring-like member having as side walls the web portions 35, as the outer wall the plate 36, and as the inner wall the wall 30 of the spacer block. They thus form a vertical passageway orstake pocket of the proper size and configuration to receive the usual vertical stake asused on freight cars. The upper and lower edges of the'stake pocket may be reinforced by suitable anges as shown at 37 and 38 respectively which flanges suitably merge into other parts of the structure at their ends.

When the fittings are positioned on the car as shown in Fig. 5 the car loor 15 tit-.s over the plate 25 and may be suitably cut away to clear the spacer block 27. The compart-ments are adapted to rest directly on this iioor. They are each bound on the vertical edges by suitable reinforcing angle bars 39 as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5. These angle bars may turn in slightly at the very bottoms as shown at 40 to assist in guiding the compartments into position on the car.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be seen that each combined stop and stake pocket fitting provides two angular pocket-s 41 to accommodate the lower portions of the vertical edges of' the adjacent compartments as clearly shown. A `material clearance spaceI appears in F igure 3 between the freinforcing angles and the pocket'walls which is to in- Sure proper fit without binding for all compartments. It will be seen that the vspacer block 27 prevents any material fore and aft movementof the compartments and that the wings 31 prevent lateral movement of the compartments because each compartment will really be engaged by four of the fittings. The sloping walls 28 and 28 at the top of the spacer block assist in positioning the compartments in a fore and aft direction 'when they are dropped into position on the It will be seen that a. car, provided with ordinary stake pockets, and with some stake pockets constructed according to the present invention, can be used either' for holding :freight compartments or can, without any change, be used as an ordinary flat car being adapted to receive substantially the normal number of stakes in the customary manner. It has not been found necessary to provide any further means of attaching the compartments to the car other than setting them on t-he fioor thereof in the pockets provided by thel stop members. The weight of the compartments will prevent them from upsetting and they are prevented from sliding laterally or longitudinally by engagement with the stop members as explained.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination with a railway fiat car and removable freight containers mounted thereon, of castings secured to the side sills of the car and each engaging the adjacent corners of two of said compartments, and a collar forming a stake pocket integral with each casting between the planes of the portions thereofl engaging the sides of the'containers and extending out beyond said sills.

2. The combination with a flat car, and a removable freight container mounted thereon, of a castingv secured to the car at the side thereof, said casting engaging a side wall of said container to position the same, and a collar forminga stake pocket integral with said casting.

3. The combination with a flat car and a removable freight container mounted thereon, of a casting secured Vto a side sill of the car and engaging two adjacent side walls of said container to position the same and a collar forming a stake pocket integral with said casting and lying in the angle formed by the extensionsof the planes vof said side walls.

4. The combination with a flat car and removable freight containers mounted thereon, of a casting having a plate secured to a side sill of the ear, a part on said casting engaging the lateral facing walls of two adjacent containers, means on said casting to engage a longitudinal wall of each of said adjacent containers, a pair-of spaced webs bracing said means from said late, and means connecting said webs to orm with themand ,the plate a stake pocket.

5. As an article of manufacture, a fitting for flat cars including a plate adapted tobe secured against the vertical face of a side sill of a car, a plate adapted to rest on the top of said sill, a spacing block extending from said second plate, Wings extending from said block and meeting the junction of said plates, Webs secured to the junctions of said wings and block and to sald first mentioned plate, and a connecting member joining a portion ofthe free edges of said webs to form a stake pocket.

6. The combination with a fiat car and a plurality of independent freight compartments mounted thereon, of a casting secured to a side sill of `the car and projecting above the floor thereof, a spacer block on said casting extending inwardly between two adjacent compartments, wings extending from said block to form therewith pockets to receive the lower corners of said compartments and means extending from said block beyond said sill to form a stake pocket.

7. As an article of manufacture, a fitting for fiat cars including a plate adapted to be secured against the verticalface of a side sill of the car, a spacing block having its outer wall substantially coextensive with said plate, wings extending from the outer wall of said block and substantially coextensive therewith and with said plate, the upper surfaces of said block sloping toward the front and rear of the car and the upper parts of said Wings sloping upwardly and away from the car.,

8. The combination of a flat car and a pair of independent freight containers thereon, of means secured to said car to freely receive the lower corners of said containers to space and retain the same on-the car and a loop on said means laterally of said space to form a stake pocket.

9. In a flat car, in combination, side sills, stake pocket fittings secured to said sills, certain pockets on each sill extending above the floor of the car and each such itting having means thereon to engage with the corners of two adjacent, independent, removable freight containers arranged on said car to space them respectively fore and aft of said pocket.

10. The combination with a flat car and a. v plurality of independently removable freight containers adapted to be mounted thereon extending from side to side of the car and each having a door facing a side of the car, of a plurality of stake pocket fittings secured to each side sill of the car, those intermediate the ends of the individual compartments being below the level of the car floor and those at the ends of said compartments extending above thecar iioor to engage with said compartments.

11. The combination with a flat car and a plurality of independently removable freight containers adapted to be mounted ual compartments being below the level of the compartment door bottoms and` those fittings at the contiguous ends of said compartments extending upwardly and inwardly to form two pockets on each itting for the corners of said compartments.

12. As an article of manufacture, a fitting 5 for flat cars including a plate adapted to be secured against the vertical face of a side sill of the car, a spacing block secured to said plate and adapted to extend over said ysill and a stake pocket loop on the opposite side 10 ofsaid plate and in alignment With said block.

13. As an article of manufacture, a litting for flat cars including a plate adapted t0 be secured against the Vertical face of a Side sill of the car, a spacing block secured to the inner face of said plate above said sill, a stake pocket loop on said plate opposite said block and common bracing members for said'loop and block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

WILLIAM F. KIESEL, JR. 

